Wednesday, July 20

When I was in college I had a vegetarian friend who ate the same thing every single day for lunch, “a meatless burger.” It wasn’t a chewy veggie burger or a hearty black bean burger. Oh, no, her meatless burger consisted of lettuce, tomato, mayo, and a single slice of American cheese piled neatly on a hamburger bun. Every day for four years. It was tragic.

All of Lynn’s recipes feature Trader Joe’s signature products, so you won’t have to trek from market to market searching for items. It’s really a one-stop-shopping cookbook ideal for both cash- and time-strapped college students. And kitchen novices. And working moms and dads. And anyone looking for easy recipes and trying to save money.

Lynn provides colorful recipe icons that help you select the recipe that’s right for you. They include microwave meals, no-cook meals, one-pot meals, and more. “Tips & Techniques,” include a few kitchen basics such as “how to boil an egg" and “how to cook al dente pasta."

Chapters are divided by meal category, and recipes, which average 5 to 7 ingredients, are clearly written and easy to follow. Delicious pasta dishes including Chickpea Penne and Portobello Mushroom Ravioli clock in at under 15 minutes. Even more impressive "Special Occasion" recipes such as Israeli Couscous with Lemon Shrimp and Wasabi Coated Chicken take about 30 minutes.

Parents who are paying for their kids’ tuition will want to hi-light the chapter called “Quick and Hearty Brain Food for Finals” featuring fortifying breakfasts such as Microwave Scrambled Eggs and Smoked Salmon, nutritious snacks such as Very Berry Smoothies, and belly-filling dinners such as Lentils with Chicken Sausage. Just don't tell them about the boozy Kahlua Spiked Chocolate Milkshakes.

While it's too late for me to help my friend, it's not too late for you. So, please, if you're a college student, harried mom, single dude, or anybody looking for inexpensive, easy, and great-tasting recipes, do me a favor -- skip the sad "meatless burgers," and get a copy of Andrea Lynn's I Love Trader Joe’s College Cookbook.

GIVE -AWAY TIME!

Tell me why you'd like to win this book, and I'll announce a winner (chosen randomly) on Sunday, July 24th. Good luck!

1. Line a plate with a paper towel. In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, flour, and salt. Working in batches, add the chickpeas to the cornstarch mixture, coating thoroughly.

2. Toss the coated chickpeas into a strainer, shaking to remove excess coating.

3. In a large heavy deep pan, heat 1 inch of oil over high heat until shimmering.

4. When the oil is hot, add half the chickpeas and cook until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon onto the prepared plate. Repeat with the remaining chickpeas. Sprinkle salt over the fried chickpeas.

52 comments:

I would like to win this book because cheap and easy is for me! Working 2 jobs and having 3 weddings coming up that I'm a part of..well, that leaves me with little time and little money, without a decrease in the desire to make fabulous meals!

My brother is headed to college in just a few weeks. He's attending USC on a full scholarship, and though he'll be in the dorms for his first year (at least), kids with full rides don't have a lot of spare time on their hands. He doesn't love being in the kitchen, but he's certainly not afraid of it, either. This would be good for him.

This would actually be for my sister. She lived off of Trader Joes food when she was in college. She got a job this past spring and they just opened up a brand new Trader joes right next to her apartment. I think she'd love to have this book and continue her college lifestyle, albeit with more sophisticated recipes. I might even have to steal some recipes from her ;)

I'd love to give this to my daughter! Imagine a nearly 30 year old woman with a designer kitchen and a mom who loves to cook -- and she still calls me when she's hard-cookig eggs! (and I love Trader Joe's.)

I'd love to win this book for my grandson who leaves for his Freshman year at Penn State next month. He loved "home economics" in high school and had it first period each day in his senior year so he could make his own breakfast. That is the only meal he knows how to make. This would be so valuable to him and his roomies. He will be in a unit with 4 bedrooms and a gally kitchen.

I would love this cookbook because I'm always buying the same stuff at Trader Joe's. I would love a cookbook that can help guide me in trying some new things. And I'll be honest, cooking gourmet for cheap always interests me. Thanks for the opportunity to win!!

i would love to read to win this book, because not only do i LOVE trader joes, but im also a college student! its pretty hard to come up with budget and time friendly recipes that work in a college environment, so this recipe book would be awesome!!

I love Trader Joe's!! And I would love this cookbook! I love to cook, but I am fairly new at it. I love to try fun, fresh recipes and I love to experiment with interesting ingredients. I also really love quick recipes because I have to chase a 10 month old around all day!!!

OMG your intro made me laugh. Before the veggie burger era, that's all there was. At the time, I ate meat, but I had friends who didn't, and I would see them at the Burger King drive thru near campus asking for a whopper without meat. It always took 2 takes to tell the person your order because the cashier thinks they didn't hear you correctly the first time. Texas is finally getting a trader joes...and we CANNOT wait.

Oh goodness! I lived a ten minute walk from a TJs in college--I would have LOVED this book! Though sadly the closest one is now 40 minutes away, I often make the trek for the amazing deals and delicious frozen meals!